This post first appeared on RenewEconomy Australian solar pioneer Stuart Wenham predicts that the cost of making solar PV modules will fall another 50 per cent at least by 2020 – even after the 80 per cent fall in the last few years, although consumer prices may not fall as … [continued]
This post originally appeared on ILSR’s Energy Self-Reliant States blog. Last week, a solar energy standard moved one step closer to passage in the Minnesota state legislature, with an innovative new approach to financing solar power. It’s a powerful first step for what would be one of the more robust policies to … [continued]
I often get flak when I publish research on the cost trajectory for solar (e.g. my Rooftop Revolution report estimates 100 million Americans reaching grid parity by 2021). About half think I’m too conservative, and half think I’m too overconfident that solar will continue to drop in price by … [continued]
In a new report on U.S. CLEAN (Clean Local Energy Accessible Now) programs, I provide a comparison of solar CLEAN Contract (feed-in tariff) rates across the United States. Comparing published rates is not particularly helpful, however, because contract lengths vary (from 15 to 25 years) and the solar resource … [continued]
Utilities often claim that allowing customers to run their meter backward (by generating electricity on-site, e.g. from rooftop solar) can affect their bottom line because these customers don’t pay enough to cover the cost of maintaining the grid. In at least one case, however, a utility’s cost-benefit analysis of … [continued]
Ontario just completed a revision of its landmark feed-in tariff program, and rates for renewable electricity generation and prices fell sharply: 30% for solar and 15% for wind power. This continues a trend of falling costs for renewable energy around the world. As a bit of background, Ontario’s feed-in … [continued]
If the cost of electricity were the only factor in energy discussions, we’d probably have a lot more coal and a lot less renewable energy. But the truth is that renewable energy can compete on cost and distributed renewable energy has a lot more value beyond just electricity, as … [continued]
In 30 states, citizens have just one choice for their electricity service. It’s like the old communist truism: “you can have any color car you want, as long as it’s red.” What if citizens could collectively shop around for electricity in bulk to get lower prices and cleaner, local … [continued]
In January 2011, I plotted the size of state solar markets against their average installed cost and found surprisingly little correlation. When Lawrence Berkeley Labs put out its 2011 version of Tracking the Sun (IV), it was possible to update the chart, which I did in two stages.
The first chart simply overlays the 2010 average installed cost on the original chart, with arrows indicating the movement of the prices in most states (I ran out of room in the small market states). It’s almost like a rainbow rain of falling solar prices. […]
Solar grid parity, when installing solar power will cost less than buying electricity from the grid, is considered the tipping point for solar power. It’s also a tipping point in the electricity system, when millions of Americans can choose energy production and self-reliance over dependence on their electric utility.
